Tuesday, December 09, 2008

one week... and lovin' my little monkey.

I have to admit...I have been REALLY bad about taking pictures. Not that I have my hands full or anything, but the few I have taken aren't really that great and so there will be more. Hopefully. This one is one of the decent ones I have of him awake.

This is on our way home from the hospital. He was so cute with his droopy cheeks and the hat...sigh. I love baby hats. Did anyone else notice his ADORABLE knit CHRISTMAS hat from the hospital. The nurses told me that women from a local nursing home volunteer to make them. I loved his hat.

Yes, he owns baby leg warmers and Justin makes fun of them...I'm sure most people think they are ridiculous, and he will be embarresed to see this picture when he is older. I love them and I think they are adorable and keep his little legs warm. SO there.

What happened.Tuesday morning I went to appointment and was checked. 3 cm...more than I had been with the first two boys, so I was happy with that. I had my membranes stripped again, and my mid-wife (who was AWESOME) was doing all she could to try and get me to go into labor. They told me to go home walk around and try and get labor going and come back.

I went back around 11:30 and was dilated 3 cm still, but they decided to put me on a monitor to see how consistent my contractions were. I sat for about 20 minutes and had regular contractions, but they were pretty tame. They decided to send me to the hospital anyway.The hospital is literally across the street from the office so I drove over, called Justin, and Chad & Mel (who had Max & Evan) and was admitted and again put on a monitor.

Justin soon showed up and around 2pm my mid-wife arrived and checked me, dilated to 4, but they decided to start pitocin. Slowly but surely they began to up the anty on the pitocin dosage. By 4pm things were starting to get bad, and by 6 things were really bad. I got an epidural shortly after 6.

Just before 9:00 I was finally dilated to 10cm and ready to push. Contractions were still strong as I was on some serious pitocin but finally at 10:08 PM Liam was born. His cord was around his neck so she actually had to push him back in a few times (that was lovely).He was beautiful, and huge. They whisked him away and then came back with him telling me they were taking him to monitor him for a bit as he had some fluid in his lungs and was raspy. Of course the WHOLE time he was gone I was on edge and full of energy awaiting his arrival back to us.

Around midnight he was back in my arms, as sweet as could be.

So, about 8 hours of labor, one hour pushing and he was here! I told the nurse afterwards if all my labor and deliveries were like that I would be happy to do them.

She looked at me like I was nuts.( random side rant: l & d nurses rock! I've always had great ones, and my nurse rachel stayed 2 hours over her shift ended to see me through...what a gal! She was so good to me.)

Let me remind you also I was in over 36 hours with Maxwell and about 18 with Evan. I actually didn't miss a full nights rest because of labor.

I did have HIGH doses of pitocin with all three...I don't recommend that, although it helped me to get things going...but it makes things hard...and contractions KILL. I DO recommend the epidural. HIGHLY...yeah, yeah it'd be all sweet and nice to go all natural, but you know what when you have that much pitocin running through you it is NOT pretty. I think I have a pretty high pain tolerance, but sheesh that stuff is powerful.

The first week has been full and tiresome, but also amazing. Maxwell and Evan have been doing wonderfully with Liam. They are thrilled to have him around. Evan was a little jealous for my attention the first few days but he is loving being a big brother. Maxwell has been amazingly helpful and is always very attentive to his baby brother. Of course my Mom has been here to help out, so that has been such a blessing. She is leaving tomorrow so the real fun begins Thursday. Liam is sweet. So far he has been an AMAZING baby. He is sleeping four hour stretches and night, and when he is up he is not fussy or crying. His crabby time seems to be in the mornings between ten and noon. I'll take it. If it all stays as is, I think I can do this...well, I have to do this, so we'll figure it out. He is his own little man, a mix of Maxwell and Evan but is also his own person. His cheeks are to die for, and I love them. I have to admit I was shocked he was 9lbs. 9 oz. I really thought the biggest he'd be would be 9 lbs. but I love every chunky inch of him. He's still little to me. He really has not done much crying, mostly a lot of squawking like a bird which all our boys have done...maybe all babies do that? But there is a sweetness to that.He responds amazingly well to my voice and when he is awake he is looking everywhere and LOVES the sound of his brothers voices. It is going to be a lot of work, this I know but it will all be worth it.For my three boys.Every. Single. Minute.

He is SO BEAUTIFUL! Anne, I love him. What a sweetie. I'm glad things are going so well for you. I have to tell you, I would love to have a baby that big, with those cheeks!! I just think when they are filled out like that, nothing could be sweeter. Soak him up.

Um...they pushed him BACK IN? Girl, that must have been, well, I'm not even sure what words to use! My epidural didn't kick in well with Ellie or Samantha so I felt most of it and I cannot imagine them trying to push the baby back in!! Is that legal?? :) Glad things are going well...he's beautiful. Love the leg warmers.